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Chicago Style Guide - 17th Edition

Text generated by AI tools

Like other sources of information, generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT need to be cited. Prior to undertaking your course work, confirm with your instructor to find out if they allow AI-generated information to be used in your assignment. 

When citing information generated with the assistance of AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Smart Copy), be transparent about the involvement of AI in the work: provide credit to the source just as you would with other types of information.

For student papers and research articles cite contributions from AI-generated tools in footnote form. You can also make reference in the body of your assignment text. You will need to include:

  • the creator of the content (e.g., ChatGPT, Smart Copy)
  • the text prompt you used to generate the content in quotation marks (if you included the prompt in the body of your text, you are not required to repeat the prompt in the footnote)
  • the organization or developer that created the tool (e.g., OpenAI, Unbounce)
  • the date the content was generated
  • if you have edited the AI-generated text, indicate this in either your footnote or the body of your text

At present (June 2023), the Chicago Manual of Style instructs you to cite content created by AI generative tools in the text of your assignment and/or in footnote form only (not in your bibliography). Because the unique URLS generated by AI tools require personal login credentials to be accessed, they cannot cannot be accessed by others (including your instructor). As a result, the Chicago Manual of Style treats AI generated information as though it is unretrievable, similar to some types of personal communications (such as email, phone, or text conversations) and recommends against including them in your bibliography. This also means that you do not need to include the URL in your footnote or assignment text, but can if you wish.


FOOTNOTE FORM

 6. Text generated by ChatGPT, June 2, 2023, Open AI, https://chat.openai.com/chat.

 7. ChatGPT, response to “Explain how to make vegetarian pakoras,” June 2, 2023, Open AI.

 8. Smart Copy, AI-generated response to “What are three key marketing strategies for websites?,” June 3, 2023, Unbounce.

 

IN TEXT EXAMPLE

The following recipe for vegetarian pakoras was generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, June 2, 2023.

When asked to list three key marketing strategies for websites, Unbounce’s AI-generator, Smart Copy, indicated that the use of SEO, understanding user experience, and social media engagement were all important methods (edited for style and content).

Images Generated by AI tools

Like other sources of information, generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as DALL·E 2 need to be cited. Prior to undertaking your course work, confirm with your instructor to find out if they allow AI-generated images to be used in your assignment. 

When citing images generated with the assistance of AI tools (such as DALL·E 2, Deep Dream Generator), be transparent about the involvement of AI in the work: provide credit to the source just as you would with other types of images.

As with other images, illustrations, and tables, the Chicago Manual of Style instructs you to cite images created by AI generative tools using a brief in-text statement called a "credit line". However, the Chicago Manual is primarily designed to help professional authors and publishers format their publications, rather than to guide students with research papers and assignments. As a result, Camosun library recommends that best practice for student assignments is for all images referred to in your essay, assignment, or presentation, be included in both your bibliography and referenced in footnotes/endnotes. You can also refer to details about the image in the body of your assignment text. You will need to include:

  • the creator of the content (e.g., DALL·E 2, Deep Dream Generator)
  • the text prompt you used to generate the content in quotation marks (if you included the prompt in the body of your text, you are not required to repeat the prompt in the footnote)
  • the organization or developer that created the tool (e.g., OpenAI, Aifnet Ltd.)
  • the date the content was generated

AI-generated image of a cat with a moustache


BIBLIOGRAPHY FORMAT

Name of AI Tool. Response to "Text prompt used."  AI-generated image. Developer's Name, Date generated. 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY EXAMPLE

DALL·E 2. Response to "Cat with a moustache."  AI-generated image. Open AI, June 9, 2023.

 

FOOTNOTE FORM

 6. Image generated by DALL·E 2, June 9, 2023, Open AI.

 7. DALL·E 2, response to “Cat with a moustache,” June 9, 2023, Open AI.

 8. Deep Dream Generator, image generated in response to “A cluttered kitchen rendered as an impressionist painting,” June 10, 2023, Aifnet Ltd.

 

IN TEXT EXAMPLE

“Cat with a moustache,” image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E 2, June 9, 2023.

“A cluttered kitchen rendered as an impressionist painting,” image generated by Aifnet Ltd.'s Deep Dream Generator, June 10, 2023.